Binding-post and contact for electric switches.



- 'No. 733,569. 7 'PATENTED JULY'14, 1903.

W. C. TREGONING.

' BINDING POST AND CONTACT FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2a, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES,

Patented July 14, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM C. TREGONING, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO- CHARLES G. PERKINS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

BINDING-POST AND CONTACT FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart .of Letters Patent No. 733,569, dated July 14, 1903.

Application filed April 23, 1903. Serial No.153,947. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LWILiIAM O. TREGONING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Binding-Posts and Contacts for Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a spring-clasp contact and binding-post, which is more particularly designed for a rotary snap-switch.

The object of the invention is to provide for such a switch a binding post witha claspcontact thatis small, elastic,durable,efficient, and cheap to construct and assemble.

The embodiment of the invention that is illustrated in the accompanying drawings has a supporting-plate adapted to be attached to the base of the switch and a binding-post that has a longitudinal slot in which a crossbar extending between the bent portions of the arms that support the contact-plates is secured.

Figure 1 shows a plan, on enlarged scale, of one of these binding-posts and contacts. Fig. 2 shows a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 shows a side elevation, and Fig. 4 shows a plan, of the blank from which one of the contacts is formed.

The supporting-plate 1 is preferably an areshaped piece of brass, with threaded perforations 2 for the fastening-screws. The tubular post 3 is secured to this plate in any common manner. The upper end of the post is slotted longitudinally.

The contact-plates 4 lie substantially parallel with each other on the are of a circle for receiving and clasping between them the movable poles of the switch. The ends of the plates are preferably fiarred from each other to facilitate the entrance of the poleplates between them. These contact-plates are connected on each side of the post by curved specified.

side of the bar on the top, as shown at 7, to upset the metal and fill up the slot, so that the bar cannot be drawn therefrom. If desired, the post may be punched from each side, as shown at 8, so as to drive metal into the perforations 9 in the bar to prevent its removal. This contact is stamped to shape from a single piece of suitable material with a semicircular piece removed from each side of the center bar, as shown in Fig. 4. It is easily bent, so as to bring the contact-plates close together,and the bar at the middle of the curved arms is quickly inserted into and easily secured in the slot in the post. The contact-plates lie close to the post; but they are connected with the post in such manner by the curved arms that there is sufficient resilience to permit the movable pole-piece of the switch to easily pass between them. The curved arms are of such length and shape that they spring readily and allow the plates to yield and properly clasp the pole-piece. With this construction the plates can be set close together, so that they will tightly clasp the pole-piece that is thrown between them and will not bind it sufliciently tight to make the switch operate hard or to prevent the polepiece from being drawn from between them very quickly when the circuit is opened.

I claim as my invention 1. A binding-post having a longitudinal slot and a contact formed of a single piece of material and having contact-plates, arms connecting the plates, each side of the post, and a bar connecting the arms and secured in the slot in the post, substantially as specified.

2. A binding-post having a longitudinal slot,and a contact having contact-plates lying substantially parallel with each other, joined by curved arms each side of the post and con nected by a bar that is secured in the slot in the post at substantially right angles to the plane of the contact-plates, substantially as WVILLIAM C. TREGONING.

Witnesses:

HARRY R. WILLIAMs, ETHEL M. LOWE. 

